We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to the Provincial Games media partner, Global Calgary, for all their help in producing the PSA in support of the Games. Our athletes spent the day in the spotlight, representing their sport and feeling like movie stars! It was an incredible experience and we can’t thank the team at Global Calgary enough for their support.

We also had the help of two amazing athletes and friends of the organization, Catriona Le May Doan and Kyle Shewfelt. They have both been fantastic ambassadors for Special Olympics Alberta and the Alberta Winter Games and we are so grateful for their support.

Thank you to everyone involved for such a wonderful day. Check out some behind-the-scenes photos of our athletes preparing for their debut on the big screen!

Strength. Sport. Spirit

Calgary Flames Game contest

Want to cheer on our Calgary Flames Saturday, March 2nd, 2019?

Special Olympics Calgary athletes can learn how to win your way below!

Our friend Mikael Backlund has arranged an amazing opportunity for our athletes! You can watch him and his teammates play the Minnesota Wild on Saturday March 2nd from a private suite! All you have to do is read all the contest details below, and enter your submission by Sunday, January 27th at 11:59pm.

HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST

Send us a video (minimum 30 secs long, maximum 3 mins) of the Special Olympics athlete sharing why they should be chosen to be part of this special experience.

Some ideas: Tell us how much you love the Flames, why you love the Flames, how long you have been a Flames fan, who is your favourite Flames player(s), who you would bring with you on this experience, show us a special cheer you would use at the game,etc.Show your personality and be creative!

Can't send in a video? Complete the form attached here (the more information you provide the better) and send in the completed form and a photo of the athlete to
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, by the deadline to be entered.

CONTEST RULES

Individual must be a 2018-2019 registered athlete with Special Olympics Calgary to be eligible to win.

Video entry must be minimum 30 seconds long, and maximum 3 minutes.

Contest entry must be submitted to
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and received before the deadline: Sunday, January 27th at 11:59pm. We will not be accepting any late entries. Please try not to send your video in too close to the deadline to account for any technical errors or in case the video doesn’t work. You can either send it through email, dropbox, or send us a link to view on youtube.

You will receive a confirmation email that we have received your video and entry for the contest. If you do not receive a response within 2 business days, please contact the office at 403-735-1022.

Contest winners will be selected the week of January 28th, and only the winners will be contacted by February 1st.

Athletes selected as winners will receive two (2) tickets to the Saturday, March 2, 2019 Flames game. They must be used by the athlete and their guest themselves, and cannot be sold or given away.

If an athlete who won tickets can no longer attend the event, they are held responsible to contact the SOC office to notify them so another athlete can have the opportunity to go.

Any misuse of the tickets, misbehaviour at the event, failure to pick up your tickets or attend the event, can impact your eligibility of special events in the future.

This is not a Special Olympics event. We are only providing tickets to our members for this opportunity. There will be no volunteers, coaches or staff present with responsibilty for the athlete. Athletes attending will be responsible for themselves and their guest in attendance, or their guest must be a caregiver if they require support. As you are accepting the tickets on behalf of Special Olympics Calgary, please act responsibly and adhere to the SOC Code of Conduct.

Registration 2018-2019

This year we are excited to announce that the national database has been released, which means we will be offering online registration for our members for 2018-2019! Although we are switching to online registration, we will continue to accept paper registration as well. We know that change isn't always easy, so we have laid out the new registration procedures below. We ask that you take the time to read through the resources available below to help answer any questions you might have before contacting the office. We are expecting a large volume of questions during this time, so it may take 1-2 business days for a response. If you require assistance, please consider signing up for an Online Registration Assistance session on Tuesday, August 28th.

Please view the resources below, to help assist you in the 2018-2019 Registration Process. Click on each area to reveal more information.

•ONLINE REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE SESSIONS

If you need access to a computer or assistance in the registration process

We will be hosting another Online Registration Assistance opportunity to ensure the registration process is as easy as possible for you.

You will need to book a time slot for an IN PERSON session if you need access to a computer, or assistance with registration as staff/volunteers will be on site to assist members to register on the new system. We highly recommend that you book your timeslot early if you foresee yourself requiring any help with this new process. To register for an Online Registration Assistance session, please click on the link and complete the form.

•REGISTRATION TIMELINE

Learn more about important dates coming up

August 6-12 Returning Athlete Online Registration OPENS!

You can register ANYTIME during the week of Aug 6-12 to reserve your spot(s) back in the program(s) you participated in last year [2017-2018 program season]

NOTE: Our office is NOT OPEN on Monday, August 6th. If you have questions, please consider booking a session at one of the Online Registration Assistance opportunities

3. A guardian/parent/caregiver registering multipleathletesIf you are an individual who will be registering on behalf of multiple athletes, for example a parent, group home coordinator or caregiver, please complete the following form before August 3rd: Registering multiple athletes *Please note: this is not the official registration form.

1. You must contact our office between August 6th and August 12th to let us know which sports you want to participate in this season. If you are returning to the same sport programs, we will hold your spot in the sport(s). If you do not contact us during this timeframe, we will release your spot. If you are planning on signing up for a new sport(s), we will put your name on a list, but we cannot guarantee, at this time, that you will get into the program.

2. You must complete and sign all the registration forms included in the package you are mailed

3. You must drop off or mail in all the registration documents to our office. The registration package must be received in our office by August 24th, if we do not have them, your spots will be released.

4. Sometime between August 27th and September 5th, you will be contacted by our office to confirm what sport(s) you are registered in for the upcoming season.

5. September 8th is our Program Payment Day. You must attend this day to pay for your confirmed sport(s). We accept cash or cheque for payments on site during the day. The program payment day will be held from 11:00am - 1:00pm at Heritage Christian Academy located at 2003, McKnight Blvd NE.

Contact
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or 403-735-1022 if you need to receive a paper registration package.

•PAY FOR PROGRAMS Program Payment Day on Saturday, September 8th

At this time, with the rollout of a new system, we unfortunately will not be offering online payments. We will continue to host a 'registration' day in September, but it will now be known as the Program Payment Day. Athletes will need to come on this day to pay for their sports, collect their 2018-2019 program calendar, visit our free inventory (clothing and collectibles) giveaways and socialize with other athletes.

We will continue to accept cash or cheque only. If you cannot make it to the Program Payment Day, payments can be made by cash or cheque and dropped off at our office, or mailed in. Payments must be received by October 1st.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the portal?The Special Olympics Canada online portal allows you to review and edit individual program, medical information, sign up for programs and make payments. This portal is structured like many sites that use login, because it is linked to one email account and is accessed by a password you create. Because of this restriction, it is important that the email address entered for the athlete is accessible and does not change frequently, as this is the email address used to login to the portal.

Why use the portal?Although you do not need to register for the portal in order to complete program registration, there are several advantages to creating a portal account. You will be able to review and change program registrations and athlete contact and medical information, register for programs and make payments. Additionally, you can use this portal login to register in future years, meaning that you will not need to complete such an extensive online or paper form in program registration each year. We strongly encourage all of our members to enroll in the portal.

The athlete rarely uses their email address, which email should we use?That depends on whether or not the athlete is their own guardian. If they are their own guardian and are registering themself, they should be using their own email address and making sure they check their email for program and organizational updates. If the individual is not their own guardian, register as a NEW ATHLETE, and complete the forms on behalf of that individual, so you can enter your own email address to have access to the account, as well as the athlete's email under their own information, which will allow for two separate log ins.

I am registering on behalf of an athlete, why are they asking for my birthdate?The portal requires 4 standard fields to be completed for each individual that registers. Those fields are first name, last name, email address and birthdate. With this information they will create your own account so you can log in and access the athlete's profile that you are registering.

I am a returning athlete/volunteer, but the system is not able to find me. What information do I enter?- Try entering your full name, instead of the name you go by- CALL THE OFFICE 403-735-1022 as we have had some errors on the system of individuals information, and all fields must match exactly to find your profile.- Make sure that you are using the email that you submitted to Special Olympics in the past. If your email has changed and you no longer have access to that account, contact the office

I do not have an email address, can I still use the online registration system?Unfortunately, no. In order to create an account on the Portal, you must have an email address. You can print out and complete a paper form [by contacting
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] and follow the paper registration steps.

I am a caregiver looking after multiple athletes. Can I use my email address to create an account to register each athlete?You can only use an email address once to create an account, so contact the office so we can set yourself up with an account to access more than one athlete.

I am a guardian/parent/caregiver who volunteers and is wanting to register a/an athlete(s) under the same email address. What do I do?Please call the office before signing up for registration if you plan on registering more than one person (athlete or volunteer) under one email address.

What Region/Zone am I to register with Special Olympics Calgary?Calgary is Zone 3

Why can't I find any programs on the Program Search Criteria page?- Registration may not be available if you are searching before August 6th or between August 24 - September 11th- There may be too many fields filled out. Only put in the Chapter, Region and Community to maximize your search resultsChapter/Province/Territory: SO Alberta Region: Region/Zone 3Community: Calgary

DO NOT ENTER THE POSTAL CODE, DISTANCE, or DAY OF THE WEEK!

How do I register for more than one program?Unfortunately, you can only select one program at a time. We understand it isn't the most convenience option, but the system is still developing at the moment, and once you complete your information and submit your program enrollment, a button will appear if you would like to add another enrollment.

How do I pay for my programs? Are programs free because it says $0?Unfortunately not. We are not offering online payments at this time, which is why the system shows as $0. To view your programs fee please click here.

We will continue to host a 'registration' day in September, but it will now be known as the Program Payment Day. Athletes will need to come on this day to pay for their sports, collect their 2018-2019 program calendar, visit our free inventory (clothing and collectibles) giveaways and socialize with other athletes.Saturday September 8th11:00am - 1:00pmHeritage Christian Academy2003 McKnight Blvd NE

We will continue to accept cash or cheque only. If you cannot make it to the Program Payment Day, payments can be made by cash or cheque and dropped off at our office, or mailed in. Payments must be received by October 1st.

How do I register for the portal?You will be prompted to complete portal enrollment at the completion of signing up as/on behalf of an athlete or volunteer into a program enrollment. You will receive an email after your program registration is approved.

How do I find my way through the portal?You can understand how to navigate through the portal as an athlete, volunteer, or other member here

Caregiver/Guardian who is connected to a registered athlete? Here is how you manage them in the portalYou must contact the office to be given portal access to another individual. Once you have been confirmed to receive access, you must create a portal account with your own credentials, by filling in your own information under PORTAL USER REGISTRATION. Once you click on the link you received in your email, proceed to log in. When you log in, you will see the following landing page:

Scroll down to Volunteer Roles, and you should see Family Admin as one of your options. Press the red continue button.

Once the page reloads, you should have a larger menu on the right hand side. The first part of options are for YOU. If you click on Athlete-Join Program you will be signing yourself up as an athlete. If you click on Volunteer-Join Program, you will be signing yourself up as a volunteer. Use the second part of the menu to view and manage the athlete(s) profile.

Three main buttons you will most commonly use are the following:

To update the athlete's information click on FAMILY LINKED PARTICIPANTS, and then on the square with the pencil in it by their name, to view and edit their profile information.

Step 10: Review the final order, Submit, and Review delivery schedule and pick up order details

Program Cancellations

In Calgary we experience varying weather conditions anytime throughout the year, so there will be days that the weather will affect programs because of the venue conditions or transportation. Special Olympics Calgary puts the safety and well being of athletes and volunteers at the forefront, and because the weather may not always cooperate with us, please check here for program updates and cancellations throughout the year.

Programs may be cancelled due to other factors: road conditions, venue availability, volunteer ratio, etc.

When will a decision be made and announced?

Making the decision if a program should run on days with inclement weather is a difficult process as weather can vary in different areas of the city, and change drastically in short periods of time. We know how much our athletes love to play their sports, and volunteers enjoy seeing the athletes, but we have to focus on our members safety, and take many factors into consideration:

- Hourly forecast and temperature for the day/evening from the Weather Network- Projected rain/snowfall/air quality- Venue conditions- Road conditions and travel time- Previous cancellations for that program

CANCELLATION TIMELINECancellations will be determined and posted as the following:

Weekday programs: By noon the day of the programSaturday programs: By 4:00pm on the FridaySunday programs: By 4:00pm on the Saturday

Please do not call the office to inquire if your program is running or not. This page will be updated as soon as a final decision has been made.

What happens if the program is cancelled?

This page will be updated by the stated time above. You will also receive an email notification (or a phone call if you do not have email) from your head coach or the office to advise you of the cancellation. Once you receive the message, please confirm with the party contacting you that you are aware of the cancellation. If we don't hear from all members, someone is required to go to the venue to let members know of the cancellation upon their arrival. If we know all members know it is cancelled, no individual has to risk their safety in the concerned conditions. Thanks for your cooperation.

Please remember to always notify your head coach when you know you will not be at the program. This way, if the program is cancelled and you are out of town or the country, the coach does not have to wait to hear from you.

What happens if the program is still running but the conditions are less than ideal?

SOC attempts to make the best decision possible for members. If the program is scheduled to run, individuals may use their own discretion to decide to face the weather or road conditions. If members attend their program, but the weather takes a turn, we ask that coaches use their best judgement when it comes to starting or finishing their game or practice. Please make sure you contact your head coach to let them know if you are not planning to attend your program (weather related or not).

This is a reminder that for the safety of all athletes, parents/guardians/caregivers dropping off participants at a facility must ensure that the facility is open, and a coach or coordinator is present before leaving the athlete at that location.